The son of Roberto Fernández Magriñat, an 84-year-old Cuban doctor missing in Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, was arrested and placed in provisional custody while the investigation into his possible involvement in his father's disappearance is ongoing.
The arrested individual is 51 years old, also practiced medicine, and had managed a clinic in the same Madrid locality, according to information from Telecinco.
Roberto disappeared on the morning of September 7 in the area of Virgen del Pilar street, where he was last seen around 9:30 a.m.
The cardiologist, born in Havana, suffered from Alzheimer’s and in the days leading up to his disappearance he had been more disoriented than usual. His family reported his disappearance to the National Police that same day and issued alerts to try to locate him.
However, the investigation took a turn just three days later. On September 10, the police arrested her son, and subsequently, a judge ordered him to be placed in provisional custody.
Despite the arrest, Roberto's body has yet to be found, which remains one of the main mysteries of the case.
Orlando, brother of the missing doctor, told Spanish media that the initial explanation provided by his nephew was that Roberto had suffered a fall at home.
"He said that his father had fallen, that he put a band-aid on him, fell asleep, and when he woke up, he was gone," he recounted. According to his account, the son claimed to have no idea where his father was and even considered reporting his disappearance.
Upon learning of the arrest, Orlando expressed his indignation and confirmed that his nephew remains in provisional detention.
"My nephew, who for me is no longer my nephew, remains in provisional detention," she stated.
Roberto's brother also stated that the detained individual has a background related to another homicide, for which he would have been imprisoned and has a trial pending in December. This aspect, mentioned by the family member, has not been officially detailed by the authorities in the available information regarding the current investigation.
The family also does not know if, in the event that a crime is confirmed, any other person could have intervened.
"We do not know if he was the actual perpetrator, if he had assistance, or if he sent someone. That remains unknown to us," explained Orlando, making it clear that these are currently questions from the family themselves.
The investigation is in the hands of Group XII of the Madrid Higher Police Headquarters, which specializes in kidnappings and disappearances, along with agents from the Torrejón de Ardoz Police Station.
For the family, finding Roberto continues to be the priority.
"We don't know where the body might be. What we do know is that if he has been apprehended, it is because they have found evidence that it could have been him," said his brother.
Roberto Fernández Magriñat was born in Havana and worked as a cardiologist in Cuba before settling in Spain, where he also developed his professional career and started a family.
His brother described him as "a super professional" and a person "of impeccable character." Alzheimer's had been diagnosed approximately eight years ago, and his decline had progressed to the point where he needed assistance to manage daily activities.
Orlando tried to maintain frequent contact with him. "There were times when he would regain his mind, but it was complicated," he recalled.
Now the family hopes that the investigation will help reconstruct what happened after Roberto was last seen on September 7 and, above all, determine where he is.
"What we expect is for Justice to act as it should, with rigor and firmness," affirmed Orlando.
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